While the capacity of network connections has increased since the introduction of dial up, high speed connectivity is not ubiquitous in all regions. Even with the addition of various connection options such as DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and their variants (VDSL, etc) as well as Cable based broadband, the majority of consumers are unable to use the theoretical maximum throughput. The inability to achieve theoretical maximum throughput from a circuit is a result of the inversely proportional relationship between throughput and distance over various types of network connections such as Cable, DSL.
Network connection aggregation is a method by which multiple network connections are grouped to provide a single logical aggregated network connection. This provides higher throughput for network applications with the added benefit of high availability/redundancy. Each network connection in the aggregate provides a percentage of the bandwidth to the logical network communication link independent of the characteristics (latency, bandwidth capacity, provider and provider architecture) of the underlying network communication link.
Although prior ITU recommendations G.998.1 (ATM-based multi-pair bonding) G.998.2 (Ethernet-based multi-pair bonding) and G.998.3 (Multi-pair bonding using time-division inverse multiplexing) speak of various bonding techniques applying to DSL links, there is generally no discussion regarding an architectural approach to aggregating dissimilar network connections to provide a single (logical) aggregated network connection. There are no provisions made for independence from physical and logical characteristics of the aggregated network connections or for high availability and lossless network failure within the aggregated connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,859 to Bell (“Bell”) teaches the idea of combining different network connections to provide bi-directional data communication technology. The combined cable and DSL modem disclosed by Bell employs unidirectional data transmission over the existing cable plant for downstream data communication, and unidirectional DSL data transmission over the existing wire pairs employed by the telecommunications network in a single data communications loop. Bell requires private network connections between an internet service provider and a client side cable and DSL provider. Bell also does not teach splitting sessions and distributing the data packets (i.e. aggregating) over different network connections.
U.S. patent application 20040213386 to Gupta (“Gupta”) discloses a communications device, method and service that integrate broadband and dial-up internet access. A modem is provided that combines both broadband and dial-up connectivity in a single device. The modem includes an auto-sense procedure for switching between the two types of connections. Gupta, however, serves a single connection at any given time. Gupta does not teach splitting of sessions into data packets and distribution of data packets over different, aggregated, network connections.
U.S. patent application 20080080371 to Liu (“Liu”) teaches a macro-spatial network multiplexing. Liu discloses dividing data from a particular application to be transmitted over different network connections. A communication module can transmit signals to/from a plurality of base stations. In this way a plurality of network connections may be leveraged for the client. Liu teaches that packets formed from the data are transmitted via a first network connection and a second network connection such that the packets transmitted via the first network connection do not match the packets transmitted over the second network connection, thereby improving bandwidth available to the client. Liu also teaches that a determination is made as to which of a plurality of network connection devices are to be used to transmit the data based on one or more considerations. For example the determination may be made based on a quality of service (QoS) specified for a particular data, available bandwidth of network connection, cost, etc. The packets include headers that identify a particular order which may be used to reorder data included in the packets after transmittal. However, Liu does not disclose bonding having bandwidth aggregation with diversity. The apparatus of Liu is restricted to directing traffic among networks and allowing traffic to be distributed amongst different networks.
U.S. patent application 20060176900 to Liu (“Liu 2”) discloses a de-centralized architecture for bonding communication links, such as ATM-based bonding of DSL lines such as Asymmetric DSL (ADSL), Very high speed DSL (VDSL), or more generally any DSL (XDSL) lines. Liu 2, however, does not teach aggregating cable, ADSL, T1, wireless or dialup.
U.S. patent application 20080075111 to Feng (“Feng”) discloses a bonding device to allow transmission of a single or unified data stream over two or more different telecommunication links. The two or more telecommunication links are DSL. Feng does not teach aggregating cable and DSL.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,070 to Krishnan (“Krishnan”) teaches methods and apparatus for achieving high data transmission rates using multiple, simultaneous, parallel connections. Two or more modems are coupled to a host computer. An operating system component controls the modems either as independent communications channels, or for high speed data transmissions, and “combines,” or “bonds” multiple Public Switched Telephone Network-type connections together to create a high speed data link. This is accomplished by splitting a high speed data stream into multiple lower speed data streams and transmitting each lower speed data stream via a low speed modem and PSTN connection. Krishnan does not disclose a method to enable aggregating network connections with dissimilar characteristics and does not disclose a method for aggregating connections using an always-on technique.
Therefore, there remains a need for a connection aggregation technology that provides enhanced high availability mechanisms coupled with high throughput while maintaining independence and transparency to the underlying network connection characteristics whether logical, such as latency, transport protocol or physical, such as provider architecture, transport mechanism, etc.